Plate-holder.



L. M. SIEGEL.

PLATE HOLDER.

APPLICATION nun JULY 23,1909.

Patented (lot. 26, 1909.

I anemia LAURA M. SIEGEL, OF COLVILLE, WASHINGTON.

PLATE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

Application filed July 23, 1909. Serial No. 509,211..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURA M. SIEGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at o]ville, in the county of Stevens and State of \Vashington, have invented a new and useful Plate-H older, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in plate holders being more especially designed for the holding of plates to table structures such as are used in connection with childrens high chairs, though the plate holder is applicable for use in other connections.

The object of the present invention is to hold the plate firmly but removably to a table structure in such manner that a child may have ready access to the plate but cannot accidentally displace the same and so spill the contents of the plate or even cause the plate to fall from the table and so becomebroken by the fall.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a simple and easily constructed plate'holder preferably made of one piece of stout wire bent in a manner to readily grasp a plate and at the same time adapted to engage over the outer and inner edges of a table such as is usually provided in connection with a childs high chair.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a high chair table with a plate secured thereon by means of a structure embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the plate holder removed from the table and also without the plate in lace.

Referring to the drawings t ere is shown a table 1 which may be taken as typical of the tables usually provided with childrens high chairs and adapted to hold plates or other receptacles for food. On the table there is also shown a plate 2 which may be taken as typical of any suitable plate for the reception of food.

The table 1 is provided, as usual, with a peripheral ledge 3 designed to prevent the escape of a plate from the table when pushed outwardly, but such a ledge is seldom efli'ective and it frequently occurs that a young child will push a plate toward the front of the table in such'rnanner that the plate will easily pass over the ledge and fall to the floor and frequently become broken by so falling.

The structure of the present invention is designed to hold the plate firmly on the table against accidental displacement and is of such nature that a young child cannot remove the plate holder from engagement with the table or the plate from engagement with the plate holder.

In the drawings the plate holder is shown as though constructed of an endless piece of wire, but it will be understood that it may be constructed of a piece of wire having the ends joined as by soldering or welding or by means of a suitable clip holding the adjacent ends close together. The holder is formed of two side members 4-4 in general parallel relation and spaced apart, and the ends of these side members are joined by end members 5-5 also in spaced relation andgenerally parallel one to the other.

Considering the attachment as placed on the table 1 with the table top in a horizontal plane then it will be seen that for a distance on each side of the middle point the side members are upturned as shown at 6 and then bent toward each other to form an overhang 7 for each side member and bent on a curve struck from the center of the plate to be held. The side members on each side of the upturned portions 6 are formed into a loop 8. At one end the side members are continued straight away from the corresponding loop 8 in parallel relation and then turned downward as indicated at 9 and finally bent in a direction toward the center of the holder as indicated at 10 and the members 10 are joined by a connecting piece 11, the parts 9-10-11 being adapted to pass around the inner edge of the table 1 and under the table at the inner edge. The outer ends of the side members 4 are continued beyond the loop 8 and are then bent into open loops 12 adapted to engage over the ledge 3 and to pass down the front face thereof and these loops are joined by an inwardly'directed connecting port-ion 13- adapted to underride the front edge of the table below the ledge 3.

Because of the loop 8 and the general resiliency of the material of the holder, the plate grasping side members 7 may be spread apart so that a plate may be inserted between them and these members will then spring together and grasp the edge of the plate and so hold it. lhe u rising portions 6 also curve toward the met ian line of the plate holder so as to underride to an extent the edge of the plate when in the holder. Because of the loops 8 the table engaging ends 11 and 13'may be bent one away from the other so as to be pulled out from under proach one toward the other will hold the plate firmly in position. By this means a plate is held on the table 1 against accidental displacement and yet the holder will not interfere with the use of the table in the usual manner. The main portion of the holder lies closely to the surface of the table and only those portions directly engaging the plate rise to any extent above the surface of the table. For this reason the structure does not interfere materially with the use of the table when a plate is not present, and if it be desired to entirely remove the holder from the table this is readily accomplished by pulling the members 11 and 13 apart when the holder may be released from the table.

What is claimed is:

1. A plate holder comprising a piece of wire bent to form two opposing side members shaped to grasp diametrically opposite parts of a plate, and also bent to form two opposing end members shaped to embrace opposite edges of a table.

2. A plate holder comprising a piece of wire bent to form two opposing side mernbers shaped to grasp diametrically opposite parts of a plate and also bent to form two opposing end members shaped to embrace opposite edgesof a table, the wire between the side and end members being formed into elastic loops.

3. A plate holder comprising a piece of wire of general rectangular form having side members with portions curved from a common point and bent to one side of the general plane of the holder, end portions returned toward the bent portions of the side members and bent away from the general plane of the holder in a direction opposite the curved portions of the side members, and elastic loops in the side members between {)he bent portions thereof and the endmemers In testimony that I claim the fore oing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LAURA M. SIEGEL.

Witnesses:

F. M. BOWMAN, H. M. MGCAULEY.' 

